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Maintaining findability in a world of ever-increasing data

We frequently store and update data within IT systems. But, do we ever truly consider what it will take to find this data when we need it again – in a week, a month, or even a year later?

Consider the amount of data the rest of your immediate team is working on – “Double the size of your haystack and on average it will take you twice as long to find a specific needle!”

Now, multiply this haystack based on the division you operate in, the region, the entire company; when you also consider security compliance and keeping the data up-to-date, the challenges of maintaining ‘findability’ are clear.

With the technology available in the modern-age, why is it such a challenge?

Many will have heard, or even used, phrases like “we need a Google-like search” or “just make it work like Google”. Yet it is not really fair or relevant to compare enterprise search solutions with the Googles, Bings and Yahoos of this world; they serve different needs and have different challenges…

Web search applications generally fulfil common, narrow and/or easily defined user needs (e.g. “find me a website”) and the content being searched tends to have been created with the sole purpose of ‘being found’.

When entering complex data (structured and unstructured) into enterprise systems, findability is not necessarily a significant motivation. Additionally, those all-important user needs are much more diverse – ranging from simply wanting to find a document or check a fact through to the more complex in researching specific issues or performing analysis to establish whether an idea or thought is worth pursuing.

So, what is IDBS doing in this area?

Our current focus is on upscaling the capability of the E-WorkBook web client. In version 10.1 we drastically increased the search functionality of the web client, incorporated within a new user interface design and infrastructure.

We plan on continuing this through 2016 with an emphasis on performance, whilst also looking to enhance how E-WorkBook fits in to the wider enterprise landscape – if you are interested in learning more around what we are developing in the E-WorkBook web client or have any search needs/insights you would like to share, watch our webinar series here.